Harry Potter, Hangover 2 among Warner hits in 2011

Thanks to the final Harry Potter film and the raunchy comedy The Hangover Part II, Warner Bros. racked up $4.7 billion worldwide in 2011, the studio announced on Friday.

That's a lordly sum, but Warner Bros. did have to surrender its box-office crown to rival Paramount, which grossed $5.17 billion this year.

It also falls short of the $4.8 billion the studio generated in the previous year. However, in a release touting the announcement, Warner's notes that 2011's gross makes it the first studio to ever exceed $4 billion globally for three consecutive years.

Domestically, the studio made north of $1.83 billion.

Foreign markets continued to be a source of strength for Warner Bros., with the studio earning $2.87 billion internationally last year on a tentpole heavy slate that included new installments of its Final Destination and Sherlock Holmes franchises.

Our 2011 slate saw a broad range of hits that encompassed comedy, action, suspense, and, of course, a little magic, Jeff Robinov, president of Warner Bros. Picture Group, said in a statement. We share these successes with our production partners, as well as all those who worked so hard, not only to make the movies but to bring them to a worldwide audience.

Leading the pack for the studios was its farewell to the its mega-grossing boy wizard saga, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2, which earned more than $1.33 billion worldwide. Joining it in the hit column were The Hangover Part II ($586 million, worldwide), Horrible Bosses ($215 million, worldwide), Final Destination 5 ($164 million, worldwide), Crazy, Stupid, Love. ($148 million, worldwide), and Contagion ($141 million, worldwide), and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, which has grossed $286 million worldwide to date.

Less successful were Green Lantern, the adaptation of the comic book series, which garnered a lackluster $219 million worldwide on a $200 million budget, and Happy Feet 2, which flapped its way to an underwhelming $122 million on a $140 million budget.